Friday, April 24, 2015

101. This week we interview Bill Loehfelm about his detective novels. “Bill Loehfelm is the author of four novels, most recently, The Devil in her Way, the next Maureen Coughlin adventure and Bill's first New Orleans-set novel, from Sarah Crichton Books. Meet Maureen for the first time in The Devil She Knows(2011).”

This week in Louisiana history. April 25, 1862. New Orleans
falls to Admiral Farragut's US Fleet. April 24, 1877.
Reconstruction ended in Louisiana.

This week in New Orleans history. Federal troops captured
New Orleans on April 25, 1862. Having fought past
Forts Jackson and St. Philip, the Union was unopposed in its
capture of the city itself, which was spared the destruction
suffered by many other Southern cities. However, the
controversial and confrontational administration of the city
by its military governor caused lasting resentment. This
capture of the largest Confederate city was a major turning
point and an incident of international importance. Because a
large part of the population had Union sympathies (or
compatible commercial interests), the Federal government took
the unusual step of designating the areas of Louisiana under
Federal control as a state within the Union, with its own
elected representatives to the U.S. Congress.

Louisiana Crawfish GatorfestThis is the 1st Annual Louisiana Crawfish & Gator Fest
@The Ike in West Monroe, La. This is the biggest event to hit
NorthEast Louisiana in years. Perfect event to bring your
family and friends to enjoy great food, carnival rides,
shopping, and live entertainment. This will be a funfilled 4
day event for all to remember from all areas 0f the ArkLaMiss
to come enjoy the best crawfish and experience live Gators for
your entertainment. So please come support and enjoy so we can
make this the biggest event to hit this area, and continue to
bring this event back every year.Venue: Ike Hamilton Expo Center ArenaAddress: 501 Mane StreetWest Monroe LA, 71292Phone: 318-325-9160Web: lacrawfishgatorfest.com

Friday, April 17, 2015

100. Part 2 of our interview with Ibrahima Seck about his book, Bouki Fait Gumbo. "Through an in-depth study of one of Louisiana's most important sugar
plantations, Bouki Fait Gombo traces the impact of slavery on southern
culture. This is a thorough examination of the Whitney's evolution--
from the precise routes slaves crossed to arrive at the plantation's
doors to the records of the men, women, and children who were bound to
the Whitney over the years. Although Bouki Fait does not shy away from
depicting the daily brutalities slaves faced, at the book's heart are
the robust culinary and musical cultures that arose from their shared
sense of community and homesickness. The release of this book coincides
with the opening of the Whitney Plantation Museum, a 'site of memory
dedicated to a fuller understanding of the facts of slavery, our
national tragedy'."

This week in Louisiana history. April 18, 1864. Battle of
Sabine Pass takes place in Cameron Parish.

This week in New Orleans history. The Canal streetcar line
reopened April 18, 2004, almost 40 years after its
close.

Friday, April 10, 2015

99. Part 1 of our interview with Ibrahima Seck about his book, Bouki Fait Gumbo. "Through an in-depth study of one of Louisiana's most important sugar
plantations, Bouki Fait Gombo traces the impact of slavery on southern
culture. This is a thorough examination of the Whitney's evolution--
from the precise routes slaves crossed to arrive at the plantation's
doors to the records of the men, women, and children who were bound to
the Whitney over the years. Although Bouki Fait does not shy away from
depicting the daily brutalities slaves faced, at the book's heart are
the robust culinary and musical cultures that arose from their shared
sense of community and homesickness. The release of this book coincides
with the opening of the Whitney Plantation Museum, a 'site of memory
dedicated to a fuller understanding of the facts of slavery, our
national tragedy'."

This week in Louisiana history. April 10, 1806. General
Leonidas Polk’s birthday.

This week in New Orleans history. Treme, the
television drama series created by David Simon and Eric
Overmyer. which follows the interconnected lives of a group of
New Orleanians in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, premiered on
HBO on April 11, 2010.

Friday, April 3, 2015

98. We interview Deborah Burst, author ofLouisiana's
Sacred Places. Louisiana’s Sacred Places takes
you on a personal tour of Louisiana’s most solemn and revered
locales. From New Orleans’ most telling portraits of eternal
architecture to St. Roch Chapel’s chamber of miracles filled
with relics of pain and suffering. Burst’s vivid photography and
discerning eye bring the spirits and celestial wonder to life in
every frame.

This week in Louisiana history. April 6, 1764. First
Acadians actually arrived in Louisiana.

This week in New Orleans history. On April 4, 1812, the
Territory of Orleans, which had been organized in 1804, was
admitted to the Union as the 18th State. It was not contiguous
to any other state, since Mississippi was not admitted until
1817, Arkansas until 1836, and Texas in 1845.

This week in Louisiana.
April 5, 2015
Poverty Point, Epps
Tool Demonstation
Time: 1:00-4:00pm
Come and watch the rangers demonstrate the tools used by early
inhabitants to build, hunt and create other articles used in
their culture.
Address: 6859 Highway 577
Pioneer LA, 71266
Cost: $4 per person
Phone: 888-926-5492
Web: http://www.crt.state.la.us/parks/ipvertypt.aspx